Factors Predicting Rabies Preventive Behavior in Bang Rakam District, Phitsanulok Province

Abstract

          This predictive research aimed to explore the rabies preventive behavior and to investigate the factors predicting rabies preventive behavior among people in Bang Rakam district, Phitsanulok Province. A total number of 367 people were selected using the multistage random sampling method. The research tool was a questionnaire to collect data for the prediction of rabies preventive behaviors which valued 0.805 of the reliability coefficient. The data were analized by using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis with stepwise method. The results showed that most of the respondents were females (55.6%), being working adults (15-59 years), earned income less than or equal to 90,000 baht/year, being agriculturer, married, and having primary school education. The rabies preventive behaviors were at high level (77.4%). Two factors for predicting rabies preventive behaviors were the perceived benefit of rabies prevention (β = 0.462) and perceived barrier to rabies prevention (β = -0.230). All variables were able to predict up to 33.1% of the rabies preventive behavior (R2= 0.331) at the 0.05 level of significance.